The present invention relates to bandages, more particularly, to bandages for applications requiring multiple bandages per day to the same area of the skin.
New surgical procedures today for ostomy care have in some cases eliminated the need for external pouches. A pouch is formed internally by placing a U-bend in the terminal portion of the colon or intestinal track after surgical removal of a portion of the colon. The U-bend ends in a stoma or opening through the abdominal wall in the usual manner but the pouch formed internally by the U-bend is capable of storing a finite amount of discharge. The pouch is emptied four or five times a day by intubation. People who have undergone this type of surgery are often referred to as continent ostomates or ileostomates or urostomates.
The stoma will secrete a certain amount of mucous or discharge which is absorbed by a bandage placed over the stoma. The bandage must be removed and a new bandage applied each time intubation takes place.
A common bandage approach consists of taking a square or rectangular piece of acrylic adhesive, placing a piece of cotton or gauze in the center and placing this over the stoma or, alternatively, taping a piece of cotton or gauze over the stoma. The acrylic adhesive is not particularly friendly to skin upon removal and using this technique four or five times a day often results in skin irritation or even excoriation. A real need exists to provide a bandage for continent ostomates or others such as those suffering with mucous fistulas which bandage will not cause skin irritation, etc. when multiple bandages are used each day to the same area of the skin.